WASHINGTON – The United States has intensified economic and military pressure on Iran, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper claiming that Tehran has been cut off from maritime imports and exports, except for permitted humanitarian assistance.
In a video statement released Friday, Cooper outlined three main objectives of the US campaign: restricting Iran’s oil exports, disrupting digital financial resources and limiting the ability of Iranian security forces to pay their personnel.
Cooper said US forces had prevented Iran from exporting crude oil worth at least $25 billion in recent months. He also reported that US agencies had helped freeze nearly $350 million in cryptocurrency assets, which Washington says could otherwise be used to finance militant activities or rebuild weapons and military facilities damaged during the conflict.
According to Cooper, Iran-aligned groups operating across the region have begun withholding payments to their fighters to redirect funds to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He added that the IRGC itself was facing growing difficulties in paying its personnel.
Cooper said the economic restrictions were placing increasing pressure on Iran’s leadership and that the IRGC was showing signs of mounting financial strain.
US Says Strait of Hormuz Remains Open
Despite the restrictions on Iran’s maritime trade, Cooper maintained that commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was continuing. He accused Iran of attacking commercial vessels and said US forces were cooperating with regional allies and the shipping industry to strengthen maritime security.
Cooper asserted that the strategic waterway remained under the control of the United States and its regional partners rather than Iran, adding that it was still open to commercial traffic.
He reported that approximately 400 merchant vessels had crossed the strait over the previous seven days. He also said US forces had helped Gulf partners transport more than 100 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway during that period.
According to Cooper, the total volume of oil transported with US assistance through the strait in recent months had exceeded 1.3 billion barrels.
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